SixSense, a deep tech startup based in Singapore, recently successfully raised $8.5 million, marking new progress in the application of AI technology in the semiconductor manufacturing field. This funding was led by Surge from Peak XV (formerly Sequoia India & SEA), with other investors including Alpha Intelligence Capital and FEBE. This round of financing brought SixSense's total funding to approximately $12 million.
Image source note: The image is AI-generated, and the image licensing service provider is Midjourney
SixSense was founded in 2018 by engineers Akanksha Jagwani (Chief Technology Officer) and Avni Agarwal (Chief Executive Officer). The company focuses on solving a core issue in semiconductor manufacturing: how to convert raw data generated during the production process (including defect images and equipment signals) into real-time insights that help factories prevent quality issues and improve production efficiency.
Although a large amount of data is generated in manufacturing workshops, the founders found a lack of real-time intelligent analysis. Akanksha has extensive experience in modern manufacturing, quality control, and software automation, having worked at companies such as Hyundai Motor and General Electric. Agarwal, on the other hand, has technical experience at Visa, where he built multiple large-scale data analysis systems and has a strong interest in applying artificial intelligence to traditional industries.
After in-depth discussions with more than 50 engineers, the founders found that the inspection process in the semiconductor industry is still relatively manual and fragmented, with great room for modernization. Although there are many dashboards, statistical process control charts, and online inspection systems in today's manufacturing workshops, most of them can only display data without deep analysis. Agarwal pointed out that engineers still spend a lot of time identifying patterns, investigating anomalies, and tracing root causes, a process that is both time-consuming and subjective, making it difficult to cope with increasingly complex production processes.
SixSense's AI platform provides engineers with early warnings so that they can intervene before problems escalate. Its features include defect detection, root cause analysis, and failure prediction. Its platform is specifically designed to be used by process engineers, who can adjust models and deploy them quickly using their own factory data within two days, without writing code.
Currently, SixSense's AI platform has been deployed in several large semiconductor manufacturers, such as GlobalFoundries and JCET, and has processed over 100 million chips. Customers report that their production cycle has accelerated by 30%, output has increased by 1-2%, and manual inspection work has been reduced by 90%. The system is compatible with inspection equipment covering more than 60% of the global market.
Agarwal said that SixSense's target customers are large chip manufacturers, including foundries, semiconductor assembly and test service providers, and integrated device manufacturers. The company has already collaborated with factories in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Israel, and is planning to expand to the United States.
Geopolitical tensions, especially between the United States and China, are reshaping the landscape of the chip manufacturing industry, driving new global manufacturing investments. Agarwal pointed out that many new facilities do not have the constraints of traditional systems at the beginning, and are more open to AI-native solutions like SixSense, which is a benefit for the company's development.
Key points:
🌟 SixSense successfully raised $8.5 million, focusing on the application of AI technology in semiconductor manufacturing.
💡 The AI platform developed by the company can detect chip defects in real-time, improving production efficiency.
🌍 Geopolitical changes are driving investment in chip manufacturing, and SixSense is actively expanding into international markets.